


No roof above our starry sky

by gilleboll



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Drabble Collection, Fluff without Plot, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-03-29 17:57:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19025026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gilleboll/pseuds/gilleboll
Summary: ”What are you smiling about?” Magnus asked, resting his head on Alec’s shoulder.”All this,” he answered alongside a vague gesture to their surroundings. ”I was just thinking… it’s pretty good- great, isn’t it?”He felt Magnus nodding against his shoulder. ”Pretty great,” Magnus confirmed.A collection of prompt-based malec drabbles with lots of love and affection.





	1. jawline kiss/neck kiss

**Author's Note:**

> (title from ”home” by bruno major)
> 
> drabbles based on a few kiss prompts i found on tumblr. i might add more in the future. nobody asked me to make this, i just felt compelled! hope you enjoy c:
> 
> for the sake of clarity, these drabbles jump a bit all over the timeline!

Alcohol. Was. _Wonderful._ At least that’s what Alec thought. After the week he’d had, he felt like he deserved a night of getting a bit tipsy. The Clave had been really on his case the last few days about something something bureaucracy, and he finally had a night where he didn’t have to _care._ Everything that mattered tonight was the wine glass in his hand and his husband sitting so close he was nearly on Alec’s lap. The heat of their bodies in combination with the wine left Alec in a sort of daze. Everything was great. Work, while tough sometimes, was great, marriage was also great. Their apartment too. Everything.

 

”What are you smiling about?” Magnus asked, resting his head on Alec’s shoulder.

”All this,” he answered alongside a vague gesture to their surroundings. ”I was just thinking… it’s pretty good- great, isn’t it?”

He felt Magnus nodding against his shoulder. ”Pretty great,” Magnus confirmed.

Alec hummed contentedly and let his head rest on top of Magnus’s for a brief second. It wasn’t very comfortable though, so he quickly straightened back up.

”Do you…” Magnus began, slowly running a hand over Alec’s jean-clad thigh. ”...feel like watching a movie?”

”Mm. I don’t know,” Alec said. ”What type of movie?”

”Anything you’d like.”

Alec turned his head to look at Magnus with a breezy smile. He planted a swift kiss on his temple. ”You pick. You’re better at… movies than me.”

 

A few years ago, Alec wouldn’t even have dreamed of a life like the one he actually ended up having. He wouldn’t ever have imagined that he’d be married to Magnus Bane — or any other man, for that matter. He wouldn’t have imagined that he’d be living somewhere other than the Institute, nor would he have thought that getting drunk on red wine on a Friday night would be something he’d do either. He wouldn’t have thought he’d be so _happy_. From somewhere around his right shoulder, he heard Magnus going on about something, but the words were indistinct.

 

He felt something tickle against the side of his neck, bringing him hard and fast back down to Earth.

”Are you listening to me?” Magnus asked against Alec’s jaw. His beard and warm breath made Alec squirm a little, but he still smiled.

”Sorry, what?”

Magnus gave a quick smile that showed zero surprise. Still, there was an obvious fondness in his eyes.

”I thought so.” Magnus’s palm settled on Alec’s knee, pressing firmly against it. Alec pulled Magnus fully onto his lap. Let him sit there, put his arms around his waist. Let himself melt right then and there. He allowed his head to fall and buried his face in Magnus’s shoulder. He felt Magnus’s fingertips run up and down his back in a steady motion. The gentle touch seemed to undo every last bit of tension remaining in his body.

 

He was suddenly so tired. Tired and full of a desire for closeness. Not that he and Magnus weren’t close in every imaginable way, because they obviously were. Alec just wanted… more of it. He wanted to wrap himself around Magnus. Fall asleep like that. Wake up like that.

”Can we go to bed?” Alec asked against the soft fabric of his husband’s shirt. ”Sleep,” he clarified, as if Magnus would have thought he meant absolutely anything else with the question. Alec once again felt the light scratch of Magnus’s beard against his neck. The press of lips to his skin.

”Soon,” Magnus assured him. ”Let’s just take all this in first.”


	2. firm kiss

Demons running amok in the streets of New York was nothing new to anyone with knowledge of the Shadow World. What did feel new was the intense bouts of anxiety Magnus felt whenever Alec would rush off, bow hung over his shoulder and quiver full of arrows. Of course he knew that Alexander was more than capable of fending for himself and that even then he usually had some form of backup with him, but that couldn’t put a complete stop to the fear of his boyfriend not coming back in one piece from gnawing at him. 

 

Alec hadn’t made himself known for many hours now, and Magnus could no longer keep from pacing around the loft. Of course the day he had as good as nothing on the itinerary would be the day someone he really cared about was putting their life in danger with no way to call him. It was typical, really. Sure, dating a Shadowhunter had its perks, but this was certainly not one of them. 

 

He topped off his drink for a third time. For someone who’d been alive for hundreds of years, one day shouldn’t feel this long. Despite having told himself he wouldn’t, he checked the time and his phone again. As expected: nothing new. With a deep sigh, he glanced out over the city view his balcony provided. One of the few stray cats that frequented his apartment stroked by his shins. With an absent minded wave of his left hand, he conjured a bowl of cream for the cat. Lactose-free, of course. As the cat lapped at the contents of the bowl, Magnus knelt down beside it to scratch it behind the ears. At least he didn’t have to worry so much about the cats.

 

Pacing was only good for keeping worry at bay for so long, and Magnus returned to sitting on the couch with tense shoulders sooner rather than later. At least now he had the company of the furry little feline beast curled up on the cushion beside him. He heard the door to the loft open and whirled out of the couch so quickly that the cat jumped at least three feet straight into the air.

”Magnus?”

”Alexander.”

Magnus hadn’t meant to sound so genuinely relieved when Alec returned, but the name had left his lips as more of a sigh of relief than regular speech.

 

”Are you-”

Alec didn’t get to finish his question before Magnus kissed him. Unexpectedly hard. A surprised noise escaped Alec and his shoulders hunched for a second before he really understood what’s happening. Magnus’s fists were closed over the front of Alec’s rain-soaked jacket, pulling him close and keeping him there. Alec’s hand snaked around the back of Magnus’s neck where it found its way into his hair. 

 

Any and all fear and dismay from the past day dissipated in Alec’s presence. Sure, his boyfriend still reeked of ichor, but at least he was safe. He was at home where he should be and Magnus didn’t have to worry.


	3. hand kiss/fingers kiss

The morning sunlight filtering in through the curtains cast a golden shine over the entire room. Magnus had chosen this particular room as master bedroom for exactly that reason. Something about waking up bathed in gold made him happy. Well, happy wasn’t the right word for it; it was more of a sort of blissful calm every morning. The thing that turned that blissful calm into a spike of happiness was turning his head and getting to see Alec in bed next to him, sometimes asleep, sometimes awake.

 

Today, he was asleep. Magnus took a moment to watch his husband where he lay. His eyebrows weren’t knitted together in a frown and his jaw wasn’t tight-set. He looked so peaceful. If it weren’t for his chest steadily rising and falling as he breathed, one could have feared the worst.

 

There was a sudden twinge in Magnus’s heart. Even just that thought was enough to bring back… unpleasant memories. How many times had he seen Alec almost die? How many times had the unthinkable been too close to happening? Magnus didn’t want to count, he just knew it was too many. Just once was too many times.

 

But Alec wasn’t dead. He was very much still alive; warm and breathing and living beside Magnus. He couldn’t allow himself to think about worst-case scenarios from the past, not this early in the morning. Magnus let out a sigh, shifting to lie on his side. Alec let out a little snore, like he so often did in the mornings, and Magnus couldn’t hold back a light smile. 

 

Wonderful, beautiful, peaceful Alexander.

 

Magnus placed his hand on top of one of Alec’s, careful not to startle him awake. With some gentle coaxing, Magnus managed to intertwine their fingers. Alec’s hand was pleasantly warm against his own. Considerably more calloused as well. Lovely nonetheless.

 

Alec groaned slightly, turning his head on his pillow. Magnus could almost tell that Alec was about to bury his face in the bed sheets in an attempt to stay asleep despite the brightness in the room. 

”Good morning,” Magnus murmured as he pulled Alec’s hand towards him to press his lips to his husband’s knuckles. Alec muttered something unintelligible in response. His gravelly  _ I-just-woke-up- _ voice didn’t make it any easier to try and understand him.

”What was that?” Magnus asked. He had to struggle to keep the amusement out of his voice. Alec shuffled onto his side and squinted at Magnus, his eyes still obviously heavy with sleep. Still, he was quite the sight — doused in golden sunlight and dark hair falling in a tousled swoop over his forehead. And what’s more, he still had that sort of relaxed look on his face. He had yet to find something to scowl about today.

 

”Uhh…” Alec groaned. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand. ”I …’s, uh… morning… Good morning.”

Magnus chuckled softly and once again brushed his lips over their intertwined fingers.

”Indeed. Sleep well?”

Alec nodded. ”Yeah. And you?”

”Well enough,” Magnus answered as he disentangled their hands. Once they were separated, he carefully stroked some of Alec’s hair away from his face.


	4. all over kiss

_ I love you. _

They’d said it, just a few hours ago. Alec had said it first, and Magnus had said it back. Alec had taken that leap for the first time in his life and there was no turning back. Thankfully, there were no regrets either. Magnus had been there to catch him before he’d even really had time to start falling.

 

Now that it had been said, he felt like he couldn’t say it enough. There was a lot of time spent not having said it. There was a lot of Magnus to show his love to. So that’s what he decided to do.

 

Each new button of Magnus’s shirt undone, each new touch of Alec’s lips to his skin was a new  _ I love you _ . 

 

His forehead. His temple.

”I love you.”

His nose. His mouth. 

”I love you.”

His cheek. His jaw.

”I love you.”

His neck. 

Magnus let out a low groan as Alec lingered on the spot. He liked — loved — feeling Magnus’s quickening pulse under his lips. Loved knowing that his own heart wasn’t the only one beating fast and hard. Alec felt fingers brush through his hair. Fingers grabbing and pulling gently as Alec fumbled with the last few buttons of Magnus’s shirt. Alec’s lips hovered over Magnus’s collarbone. Part of him wanted to give up and just pull the shirt off over Magnus’s head. Rip the clothes off of the both of them. He knew that neither of them would mind, but, no. No, this time he was going to be patient. Steady breathing. They had time.

 

Alec straddled Magnus on the mattress. He let Magnus pull his shirt off rather than doing it himself. The air in the bedroom felt cold against his bare skin. Still, he couldn’t resist stopping for a second to take in the sight of Magnus between his knees. Alec thought Magnus was so, so beautiful. Perhaps now more than ever, with his smooth skin, his criminally perfect hair, and his playfully gleaming cat’s eyes. Alec could spend an eternity looking at it all if it were possible. He let his fingers trail down Magnus’s chest, from his sternum down over his stomach. He tried to keep the touch feather light. Slow. He bent down to place his lips where his fingers had been a few seconds ago. The pressure of Magnus’s hands on his shoulder blades spread a pleasant warmth throughout the entirety of his body. Alec’s eyes slowly shut as he worked his way down Magnus’s torso. In some places he lingered to feel Magnus breathing, to feel the muscles moving underneath him. To breathe him in; the so familiar and wonderful scent of  _ him _ , with just a touch of sandalwood. In other places he quickly planted his lips to the soft skin before moving along. 

 

”I love you,” Alec breathed against the skin above the waistband of Magnus’s pants. Under him, Magnus squirmed and let out a strained breath.

”I love you too,” Magnus said, running a gentle hand through Alec’s hair. ”Now please.  _ Get on with it. _ ”

Alec chuckled and placed one final kiss on the spot.

”Alright.”


	5. gentle kiss

Just a couple days ago Alec hadn’t thought it would be possible to go from heartbroken to overjoyed to absolutely shattered in a matter of minutes, but by some cruel fate, he’d found out that it absolutely was possible. Losing someone he couldn’t imagine living without, getting him back and almost immediately losing him again was the closest Alec had ever gotten to feeling like his spirits were crushed. Shattered into something impossible to mend. Even now that Magnus was safe back at home with him, Alec couldn’t be sure that he was going to recover from feeling that hollow emptiness threatening to consume him entirely.

 

He was going to spare his fiancé the stories of the tears and the desperate gasping for breath as his world crumbled to pieces. At least for now, that was something Magnus didn’t need to know.

 

Magnus didn’t need to know how Alec had held onto Isabelle for dear life as he tried to get enough air in his lungs, or how he couldn’t get his hands to stop trembling for hours, or how seeing the ring on his finger had made him feel like maybe there was hope at the same time as it made him feel like he was drowning. He didn’t need to know that Alec hadn’t been able to sleep until his body was so exhausted it gave out.

 

No. Right now Magnus didn’t need to know all of that. Alec felt like he needed to keep a brave face, just like he had in Edom. He needed to be a rock. For the both of them. That was easier said than done, though. Even with Alec’s many years of experience repressing many of his different feelings, this was hard to keep under the surface. Especially now that things were starting to calm down; they were home in the apartment, relaxing. Or at least in Alec’s case, trying to relax. It was like the adrenaline was refusing to leave his bloodstream. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t still trying to get his hands to be still.

 

”Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Alec shook his head. ”I don’t want to burden you with that,” he muttered.

”Alec. You don’t have to protect me. I can tell that you’re hurting. Don’t push me away.” Magnus’s voice was firm, but not angry.

Alec blinked hard to keep the tears burning behind his eyes at bay.

”I just- I can’t stand the thought of being without you.” No amount of blinking or controlled breathing could stop Alec’s lower lip from trembling a little or his vision blurring. ”Please. Don’t ever leave me again.”

 

He sounded and felt pathetic as he spoke. It wasn’t necessarily the words that made him feel so small. What he said was true and would always be true, he just wanted to say it with a steady voice. Without the inability to stop himself from crying. Magnus swiped at a tear that rolled down Alec’s cheek with his thumb. He kept his hand on the side of Alec’s face. Alec leaned into the touch with closed eyes. Tried to take a steadying breath.

”I wouldn’t ever dream of it,” Magnus murmured.

 

Alec felt Magnus’s warm breath on his face before Magnus kissed him with an infinite softness. It was really mostly a brushing of lips together. Still, it was more than enough to show Magnus meant what he said. With a sigh, Alec rested his forehead against Magnus’s. He felt like he just might burst. There was a storm of different emotions raging in his chest. Was it even possible to love someone this much without dying?


	6. but i’ve had no love like your love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was asked to write this by @stariose on tumblr! c:
> 
> from a list of hozier lyric prompts that can be found on my tumblr (@gilleboll)

”You once told me,” Magnus mumbled to Alec, who was asleep on the couch with his head on Magnus’s lap. Magnus’s fingers were slowly combing through Alec’s hair, black fingernails scratching gingerly at his scalp. ”That you couldn’t live without me. I-”

”More than once,” Alec murmured without opening his eyes. Magnus wasn’t sure if Alec was actually awake or just somewhere in the space between sleeping and waking, if he was even aware that he was speaking.

 

Loving and losing was part of life, that was something everyone learned, usually the hard way. Magnus had learned that lesson so early in his long life and he’d learned it again and again so many times after that first time. After centuries of this vicious and unending cycle, he’d had enough. He couldn’t take any more of it. Closing himself off from feeling that love made the world a little less bright, a little more cold, but it kept the loss away. That was the important thing.

 

Except the world didn’t work like that. Life didn’t. Eventually, someone was bound to come along and break down all of his walls, whether he liked it or not. He just never expected that someone to be who it ended up being. Alec hadn’t just brought down Magnus’s defenses, but his own as well. He’d broken out of his protective shell of repression and guilt, and taken steps toward unlearning the shame he’d been brought up with. All for a warlock. For Magnus. And the world was full color again. Deep and saturated; reds, blues, yellows. A glint of gold in Alec’s eyes in the afternoon sun. The rich brown of his hair. The stark contrast of jet-black runes against his skin. If Magnus could paint it — if it were humanly possible to capture the sheer beauty of his world with Alexander in it — he would. 

 

Magnus smiled down at Alec.

”Fine. You told me  _ several _ times that you couldn’t live without me,” he corrected himself, still in the same soft tone of voice. He didn’t want to wake Alec in case he had just been sleeptalking. His fingers were still running through Alec’s hair, disentangling the soft curls. ”And I hope you know that I don’t plan on that happening. You won’t have to be left here without me.”

 

If it were possible, he’d show it all to Alec. How beautiful he was. How his warmth was enough to make all of Magnus’s troubles melt away. How Alec’s fierce love and devotion calmed the stormy seas and kept Magnus afloat even when he thought he was too tired to swim. Alec couldn’t possibly know all that. Not to its full extent; it was too great to put in to words, pictures or actions. No language could ever describe what Magnus wanted to describe about Alec. Not in the past, not in the present, nor in the future.

 

It was difficult to look at Alec and say what he wanted to say. It shouldn’t be very difficult to look at him, seeing as he was otherwise so eager to. But it was difficult.

”I think…”

Magnus’s gaze shifted from the head on his lap to the lights of the city outside the window. Perhaps he should have said this when Alec was awake. In many ways it would probably have been easier, but Magnus hadn’t been able to muster up the nerve until Alec had already fallen asleep.

”...I think you might just be the love of my life.”

That was the daunting reality. There was no going back; even if Alec was asleep now and wasn’t listening, the words were out there in the world, and they were true.

 

Magnus had loved and been loved many times, but not once in his life could he remember it ever being felt with this intensity. Magnus knew that many Shadowhunters were like swans; they found the one person they loved and stuck with them for life. Never had he thought he’d be so blessed as to know what that would feel like. It was everything, all at once; desperate and urgent, long and lingering. Soft. Hard. Everything in between. Wonderful. So extremely powerful in ways no one could really comprehend.

 

Magnus looked back down at Alec. His lips were slightly parted, and a strip of faint light from outside fell across his cheek. His long, dark eyelashes were still easily discernible, even in the dim light of the room. So immeasurably beautiful. All of him. Inside and out.

”The one I’ll never forget. The one I’ll never get over, for as long as I live. You’ve changed my life, Alexander. Changed  _ me _ . It won’t ever be the same.”

Alec let out a light sigh, and then a soft snore from where he lay. Magnus stroked his hand, as gently as he could, over Alec’s cheek. Had Magnus had the flexibility of a cat and not just the eyes of one, he would have bent down to kiss Alec. Instead, he had to settle for carefully running his knuckles across his cheekbone. Alec must have felt it even in his sleep, because the corners of his mouth curled upward just the tiniest bit. 

  
The source of the beauty in Magnus’s world was Alec. There was no way around it; none whatsoever. How could he have fallen in love before he met Alec? Had he known that they would meet, then he probably wouldn’t have. People often spoke of  _ ”the man of their dreams” _ . Alec wasn’t the man of Magnus’s dreams. He had never dreamed about him before they met. Hadn’t even considered the possibility of a man like him before fate — destiny, God, the angels, the world; call it what you want — brought their lives together with a crash that decimated both of their walls and they were left defenseless. Alec wasn’t the man of Magnus’s dreams. Alec was the man of Magnus’s reality. Tangible, present, heavy, warm. The love of his life. He didn’t ever want to lose this. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.


	7. forehead kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to preface this one: i wrote this mostly as a vent fic for myself and it does deal greatly with alec’s self-harming behaviors. if that’s something you can’t or shouldn’t read, then please skip this drabble. your well-being is important!

Alec knew he had slept, judging by the light behind the curtains that couldn’t quite make it into the room; however, he  _ felt _ like he’d been awake for days, tossing and turning under the covers that were now tangled with his long legs. Whatever sleep he had gotten last night was short and unrestful, and Alec remembered waking up more than twice. He took a deep breath and rolled over to lie facing away from the window. He rested his head on a hand that was still sore from repeated, hard contact with a sandbag yesterday. That pain. There was something extremely satisfying about landing a punch that split your knuckles open and letting that pain radiate through your fingers and up your arm. Alec knew he shouldn’t think that, that it was a very harmful mindset to keep, but that didn’t make it any less impossible to let go of sometimes. More and more impossible as of late.  Alec also knew what that meant. He didn’t allow himself to think it, because the thought of slipping up after having done so well for so long scared him. All the thoughts and the darkness that slipping up brought was terrifying and as much as he knew he shouldn’t allow himself to go there, every time he noticed where things were headed it always seemed to be too late, and he was powerless to stop whatever self-destructive behavior he indulged in. 

 

He studied the hand that wasn’t tucked in under his head. It was no less bruised than the other one, and the sick sense of accomplishment that bubbled up in him upon seeing that made him want to throw up. He let his hand fall back to the mattress and he shut his eyes with a sigh. Some part of him still thought that maybe this time he’d wake up feeling rested and ready to face a day outside of the bedroom. The rest of him knew better, and obviously, so did the people around him. Isabelle had insisted on him taking a personal day before practically throwing him out of the Institute last night, while Jace stood behind her, looking like he agreed. 

_ ”Alec, you should take a break. Go to Magnus’s. Stay home tomorrow.” _

Her eyes had been so soft when she’d spoken. Of course she knew. She wasn’t stupid, and just as Alec could read her like an open book, Izzy could read him like one. Jace too. Besides, he probably felt the same sting in his knuckles that Alec did. 

 

He woke back up when a weight settled beside him on the bed. The first thing he noticed, other than the mattress shifting, was how his head hurt. He didn’t want to open his eyes.

”Alec.” Magnus’s voice was soft and comforting to Alec’s tired mind. ”Alexander.”

Alec pulled the blankets up and buried his face in them. ”Yeah?”

The feeling of Magnus’s fingers running slowly through his hair made a little shiver go down Alec’s spine. ”It’s nearly noon. You should have something to eat.”

”I’m not hungry,” Alec said into the blankets. 

”You don’t have to leave the bed if you don’t want to,” Magnus told him. ”I’ll bring you something small. Does that sound good?”

Alec made a noncommittal noise that Magnus seemed to take as affirmation, because he got off the bed, and the click of the bedroom door shutting told Alec that he’d left the room. Alec didn’t move in the few minutes it took for Magnus to return. Magnus brought the smell of broth with him, and despite previous statements, Alec felt his stomach rumble. 

 

”Can you sit up for me?” Magnus asked. 

It was a herculean effort, but Alec did as he’d been asked and sat himself up against the headboard. He didn’t bother to pull the blankets back up over his chest when they slid down. The light in the room was still dim and drained most of the colors out of everything. Even Magnus looked dull in the half-light. He handed Alec a bowl of what looked like noodle soup before retaking his seat at the edge of the bed. 

”Jace and Izzy told me about last night,” he said. Alec didn’t reply at first. He didn’t really know what to say. 

”I’m sorry,” he said finally, without meeting Magnus’s gaze. ”I know I should have talked to you. I shouldn’t have—” 

He cut himself off before he could say it.  _ I shouldn’t have hurt myself. _ Magnus placed a sure hand on Alec’s knee. The hand was warm, even through the blanket.

”Don’t worry about that now. Eat something first, then we’ll talk,” Magnus said, rubbing his thumb over the soft fabric. When Alec looked up at Magnus, he was met with a soft smile. Alec didn’t smile back, but he obediently brought a spoonful of soup to his mouth. It was good — savory and warm. His boyfriend watched in silence for a few minutes as Alec ate.

”Do you want a shirt?” he asked, eyeing Alec’s bare shoulders as Alec set the nearly empty bowl aside. Alec nodded. Magnus snapped his fingers, and a bundle of dark fabric appeared in his hand. He held it out to Alec, who took it and slipped the shirt on over his head. 

 

”Thank you,” he said, leaning back against the pillows. ”You didn’t have to.”

”Of course I did. I love you, and your well-being matters to me, more than anything.” Magnus reached to take Alec’s hand gently in his own. ”And since you’re obviously not well right now, I’m here to help you. You’re not fighting this on your own.”

He clambered over Alec to place a kiss on his forehead. 

”We’ll get you through this, okay? Together,” he said with a reassuring smile. ”Now. Can I heal your hands for you?”

Alec mustered a small smile as he reached his bruised hands toward Magnus.

”Thank you.”


	8. neck kiss (#2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> upon rereading these drabbles, i realized that i wasn’t too fond with the first ”neck kiss” drabble i wrote, so i wrote another one that i like better! enjoy!

Laughter bubbled out into the room, filled the space between the walls. First it was Alec’s; blurting out protests in between fits of giggles. Then it was Magnus’s; unable to hold it back at the sight of Alec’s scrunched up nose, the flush across his cheeks, the tears getting caught in his dark lashes as he squeezed his eyes shut.

_ Ticklish. _

”Magnus, Magnus, please—” Alec panted, his voice still tinged with the laughter Magnus just adored. Alec’s palm pressed, warm and strong, against Magnus’s sternum, and Magnus straightened up a bit to leave Alec some room to breathe. He sat straddled over Alec’s hips on the couch. Midday sunlight spilled in around them from the open windows, and Magnus took a moment to soak in the sight. It wasn’t often one had a shadowhunter pinned down and at one’s mercy like this. Alec was still breathing hard, the corners of his mouth pulling upwards into a breathless —  _ and breathtaking _ — smile. His head had fallen back against the throw pillows underneath him and his t-shirt had ridden up a few inches as he had squirmed.

 

”You’re evil,” he told Magnus, though there was no trace of scorn in the words. Magnus grinned. 

”Well, I  _ do _ have a demon parent.” 

He ran a finger ever so lightly along the dark curve of the defense rune on Alec’s neck. The reaction did not disappoint. His whole face scrunched up and shoulders shot up towards his ears to protect the sensitive area. 

_ Who gave him permission to be this cute? _

Magnus let his hands wander from the neck, down over Alec’s chest. He tapped his fingers against Alec’s ribs before pressing them firmly against his sides. Alec yelped, and Magnus felt the muscles in Alec’s core working as he arched his back. 

”You’re lucky I love you,” Alec huffed.

”Because…?” Magnus prompted. His fingers were still teasing over Alec’s ribs, coaxing bursts of startled laughter out of him. 

”Because this—” he gasped as Magnus poked right at the sweet spot between two ribs, ”—is  _ incredibly _ unfair.”

Magnus laughed and braced himself against Alec’s chest, leaning in over him. 

”Is it?” he asked. Their faces were only inches apart now. Magnus felt Alec’s breath brushing across his skin as his mouth formed a grin.

”Yeah.”

Magnus leaned in even closer, so that they were cheek to cheek. 

”We’ll see about unfair,” he murmured against the hinge of Alec’s jaw before pressing his lips to Alec’s neck. He kissed down along the same path his fingers had traveled just a minute ago, over the graceful line of the rune. 

 

Alec kept letting out huffs of laughter, but his hands, rather than working to keep Magnus away, were working to pull him closer. Magnus smiled against the crook of Alec’s neck at the feeling of Alec’s hands pressing on the small of his back. Alec rucked up the hem of Magnus’s shirt and stuck a hand in under the fabric, pressing harder against Magnus’s back. The other hand buried itself in Magnus’s hair.

”That’s incredibly unfair,” Magnus echoed Alec’s words from earlier. He thought he could feel Alec’s heartbeat thrum through his body where they lay, stomach against stomach, chest against chest. 

”We’ll see about unfair,” Alec said, and Magnus could hear the rakish smile on his lips. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! comments and kudos are as always greatly appreciated <3


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